The Glamorous Gilroy Happenings

I'm back!

2011-07-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hey! It's me the one who hasn't blogged since December! How can this be? I don't even know where to start! Here we go, in March I graduated from the University of Washington with my BA! Soon after I started searching for jobs and was offered three, turned two down and decided to take the easy route and work at Nordstrom. Before starting at Nordstrom we took a quick trip to Las Vegas and enjoyed a few days soaking in the sun, dining out and shopping. Well, turns out Nordstrom wasn't exactly what I was looking for, (the discount was the only bonus part of the job) so I quit. I worked there April through May and in June I returned to being a stay at home housewife! :) For my 25th birthday we decided to take a quick jaunt down to Los Angeles at the end of May. We shopped, dined, and visited with Mickey Mouse! During mid-June you could find me walking across stage collecting my diploma, and the week after jumping on a jet-plane and traveling to the Midwest! Brendan, my parents and I flew into Minnesota and drove to Iowa for a small family reunion. On our last day of our trip we had some time to kill, so we decided to spend a few hours at the Mall of America. This was Brendan's first experience with the Mall of America and he definitely couldn't believe how large the mall really was! At the end of June Nordstrom called and asked me to come back to work the Anniversary sale (I couldn't turn them down because the thought of having a discount during the sale made me giddy!) So I have a couple more days there and then I'll be starting a new part-time position at the place I worked before I went back to school. I'm quite excited to be working three days a week, never working nights or weekends (I really don't know how people can stand nights & weekends working retail!!!) I almost forgot to mention that we celebrated our five year wedding anniversary on July 8th! Time flies when you're having fun! Anyways, I think that's about it for now, hopefully my next post isn't seven months from now!

Iowa (Enjoying my new DSLR!)

Brendan and I at my graduation!

2010-12-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

Happy 2nd Birthday, Talan!

Uncle BJ and I love you more than we could have ever imagined!

We hope you have a fantastic birthday!

{Thankful}

2010-11-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

On this Tuesday morning I find myself being thankful for the many blessings in my life. I'm warm and cozy in my humble abode, watching my snow blanketed yard glisten from the rising sun. My supportive husband left our home hours ago, having to endure the treacherous road conditions, so he could get to work. The dogs are snuggled up, enjoying my company as I type away. My mind is relaxed from the break from the intellectual overload that I won't experience today at school; thoughts have switched from statistics and psychology to Christmas trees and snow angels. This is the start to a very good day.

{Our little abode covered in snow!}

{Conversing with the Mr.}

2010-09-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was stuck at home without my beloved car! There was some warranty work that needed to be done (hmm...like "chrome" interior door handles that were peeling) so I was stuck at home. I decided to clean, even though the house was already clean. When I went into our newly invented media/chill room I noticed the flower pot to a little plant was missing from the coffee table. I decided I would text Brendan to see if he knew where it went.

Me: Where did you put that little flower pot? (Man, I'm sassy!)

Him: In the shed.

Me: What?! Did you forget to fill it up and bring it back to the house? (I still needed to officially plant the cutie palm, but needed soil to do so.)

Him: Yeah, I got scared in there, it was dark.

Me: LOL!! That was too cute!

Him: Sorry, I will get it tonight.

So he tried to fill up the planter with soil from the shed but got scared during the process because it was dark in the shed!!

2010-09-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I hope you're able to fit in an extra long bike ride today!

Love, Big Pal

P.S. I'm actually making cupcakes for tonight; can you believe it?!?

{A Little of This, A Little of That}

2010-08-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I'm just not a reliable blog poster! I have all of these great ideas running through my mind, but they just aren't getting documented! Well lets see, I'm still having issues with uploading pictures, so this will be another word heavy post! Let me start with what I'm best at, bulleted lists!

*After this week is over I only have two weeks left of summer quarter! I'm so excited for a break!

*After summer quarter is complete, I have two more quarters before I FINALLY have my bachelor's degree!

*I have been getting ready for a garage sale. It feels so good to clean out the house!

*I really can't believe that it's August! Before we know it we'll be celebrating Christmas!

*I have over three weeks off from school before fall quarter starts! I really don't know what I'll do with all that time! (Probably drive my family crazy!!)

Well, that's all I have for now. Hopefully I'll be back sooner rather than later!

Ta-Ta

2010-07-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Gilroy,

The last four years have been wonderful. Having you by my side is like walking through a valley with rainbows and unicorns!

Happy 4th anniversary!

Love always,

Mrs. Gilroy

2010-07-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

We're celebrating in sunny, Southern California!

{Cookie Monster}

2010-06-18T09:44:00.001-07:00

My husband is many things, loving, caring, funny, and thoughtful, but he is also a cookie monster. He consumes approximately 6 cookies and 1 glass of milk every night. He consumes his cookies in bed, and every morning I have to clean up cookie crumbs! I think it's hilarious that he enjoys his cookies so much! Last night he insisted that we stop for cookies on our way home from the chiropractor because he didn't think there were enough for his nightly snack. That's all we bought, because I had gone to Trader Joe's the night before! The funniest thing about his cookie obsession is that he is the thinnest man I know! He couldn't gain a pound if he wanted to! I only wish I had that problem!

{Are you ok, Mother Nature?}

2010-06-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

For the last week it has felt like Fall in the Pacific Northwest! It has been in the sixties during the day and in the forties or fifties at night! Oh my gosh, this is so depressing! It's almost Summer and we're experiencing Fall like weather! No barbecues, sitting in the sun, ice cream, playing outside, bike rides, or outside adventures for us! So what are we doing? We're sitting inside with our furnace on, bundled up in sweatshirts while wishing for warmer weather!

Picture from our last visit to Cabo, where it was hot!

{Big Dreams}

2010-06-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

As a child I had big dreams, such as, becoming an Olympic gymnast, owning a forest-green-Eddie Bauer Edition Ford Explorer (I was a weird kid), being a tennis player for the CUTE clothes, and being able to walk on my hands instead of my feet all day long. Anyways, as I age (I'll be a quarter of a century old in 350 days), my dreams have changed. Now I want to be a runner. The crazy thing is that this love runs deeper than just wanting the cute running clothes (don't worry that's what my family asked first). I think the idea of a toned body, healthy hobby and stress reliever of the sport are drawing my attention. I have always been somewhat athletic up until the month after our wedding. Growing up I was a gymnast and worked out 3-4 times per week for 3 hours each time! I had a six pack in junior high school before the boys did! Then I quit, and I tried to find different activities to fill my time, but that didn't really work. When we became engaged I joined a gym and worked out 5 times a week to make sure I would look good in my size 4 wedding dress. That was a success! After the wedding I was too busy, but joined the gym off and on for years. Today, I am not a member of a gym. After we moved out of our last apartment, which had a gym, I decided that I would try and exercise outside. This sounds like a good plan to get in shape without spending money, but living in the rainiest place in the US it has been hard. As summer quickly approaches I am hoping to be able to run outside. Last night I ran a whopping 1 mile through our neighborhood. I literally pulled our little chihuahua, Bella the entire mile. Anyways that is my long explanation of how I'm trying to become a runner and I hope to document my success!

{Opps I did it again}

2010-06-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

*Well, well, well, I did it again....I waited entirely too long in between updating this poor little blog. Since I've neglected the blog so much over the past few months, I decided a makeover was in order; what do you think?

*I'm on break this week from school but I return on Monday to begin Summer quarter.

*I am very happy with my grades from Spring quarter (3.6,3.9,4.0) which won me a spot on the Dean's List again!

*I have been working hard around the house finishing up little projects, so far I've: painted the interior side of the front door white, touched up all of the white trim, touched up paint throughout the house, fixed caulking in kitchen & bath, helped pressure wash the deck/patio/driveway and helped pull weeds!

*Today I can't think of anything that needs to be done around the house (or maybe I'm just being lazy after being so productive the last few day).

*The golden thing in the sky showed up on Saturday and stayed until yesterday afternoon. Today, I've only seen him briefly, which is so depressing since it's June!

*I've taken some great 'after' pictures of the house, but I need help posting them...sometimes I can't do anything on my own.

Anyways, I think that's all I have to say for now! Hopefully I'll be back soon with some juicy pictures of our new house (can I still call the house new, even though we closed in September of LAST year?!)...

2010-04-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, I really haven't posted anything for 1.5 months! When we look back at this blog 30 years from now, we will probably say, "we didn't do anything for 1.5 months during 2010". Well actually we have been busy, and haven't taken any pictures to document our comings and goings. Instead I'll do what I do best, make a list...

-I finished out my first quarter back at college on a strong note. I ended up earning a spot on the Dean's List.

-We didn't go anywhere on Spring Break! I was bored out of my mind!

-This quarter has been kickin' my booty, but so far I have an 'A' in all three classes.

-I apply for graduation on May 3rd (I have to apply 3 quarters before graduation!).

-I've already started stressing about finding employment after graduation.

-We've, errr... I mean Bren, has been working hard in the yard. (Most of the time I use homework as an excuse not to pull weeds).

-We're trying to plan a vacation for late August or Early September.

-I decided to take classes during summer quarter, because I drove my husband nuts during my spring break. You're probably wondering why? Well, I decided that I needed to organize and label every nook and cranny of our house! Not even kidding!

Well I think that's about it! We'll see if I ever get pictures on here...

{Mrs. Wifey}

2010-03-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

So I might have lied when I said I wouldn't blog again until ALL of my homework was done, but I need a break! I just finished my 7 page essay for my literature class, and now my eyeballs feel like they're going to fall out! Anyways, this evening Brendan played Mrs. Wifey! He picked up his dry cleaning, bought himself a new pair of khakis, bought us cupcakes and decided on dinner! Wow! I was impressed, he usually doesn't feel the need to play Mrs. Wifey (too bad he didn't offer to clean the floors)! :) When he was shopping we sent the following text messages to each other:

Bren: Cupcakes for dinner? Hehehe

Me: LOL

Bren: I wall take that as a no, hahaha!

Me: Sounds good for dessert! But I think we need something more substantial for dinner! :) A vanilla cupcake sounds good though!

Bren: I will make you a deal! I'll buy cupcakes if you make margarita pizza!

Me: Ok, I want a vanilla cupcake with white frosting! :)

2010-03-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

{This is where I tell you how I'm too old for finals week}

Seriously, I forgot how painful these last couple weeks of the quarter are! Holy cow! I still have several assignments to be completed: a 10 page research paper, a 6-7 page paper, a four page paper, a 3 page paper and a presentation! Earlier this week, I had some classmates laugh at the spreadsheet that I had created to track all of the assignments that I need to complete during the last weeks of class! Haha! They thought it was pretty pathetic! After that, I decided it was probably a bad idea to show them that I also have a day planner with all of the due dates too! :) I'm officially a college dork!

I'll be back after all assignments have been turned in!

{Life}

2010-03-04T12:53:00.001-08:00

Have you ever had a conversation with someone, and then an experience from your past reappears as though it was just reality?

Today at school I was talking with a girl who was just pre-approved to buy a house. I was instantly brought back to the excitement that came to Brendan and I as we received our pre-approval notice. At the same time, I felt like it was eons ago since we were in that situation. I also felt bad for her, because she was under the impression that she would find a house, have her offer accepted, close and move in before the beginning of May! I wanted to share my experience, but decided that I would just smile and enjoy the early joys of buying your first home!

On a different note, sometimes I feel like a fifty year old woman, who has experienced so many things. But then at times I feel like a young-teen who can't navigate through the kitchen or grocery store! Very interesting, maybe that's what life's like in your twenties?

{March Right In}

2010-03-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

As I transitioned from the work force and moved back into academia, I have become more in tune with the seasons. Today I am grateful for the appearance of March! March brings the end of winter quarter and the beginning of spring quarter, which means only 4 more quarters before I graduate! It also means that Spring is around the corner. There's something lovely about the thought of warm weather, flowers and sunshine that brightens my thoughts! I try to keep these lovely thoughts in my mind as I complete several final projects, presentations and exams! I am a little overwhelmed, but trying to stay positive and look at the bigger picture. I'm already listing out potential employers that I would love to interview with, a graduation vacation, and new work clothes! Overall, life is good and I'm always trying to live with a positive attitude!

P.S. My husband is one of the most positive people I have ever met, he always has a refreshing way to look at life! (Bren-If you're reading this, I love you!)

2010-02-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

It went a little something like this:

Brendan: Hey, today I had the opportunity to purchase tickets to an event at the Olympics.

Me: But you didn't buy the tickets?!?!

Brendan: No, I didn't know if you would want to go. Also, there isn't anywhere to stay.

Me: Oh my gosh! We seriously live 2 hours from Canada! We could have easily come home to sleep!

Brendan: Good point.

Needless to say, my husband is crazy! I think we missed out on a once in a lifetime experience! Oh well, I think we will still drive up to Vancouver to take in all of the festivities!

2010-02-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

{Heard Lately}

This morning hubby and I had a funny chat:

Me: I've been dreaming of having another snow storm like we did last year.

Hubby: Darn Global Climate Change. Oh, by the way, why do you want it to snow?

Me: This year I'm in school, and school would be cancelled if there was enough snow. And then I could sit home and drink hot chocolate while reading home decor magazines.

Hubby: You would probably be checking blogs all day too, right?

Me: Haha! You know me so well!

Hubby: It's really funny that you think of these things!

Me: Really? I can't stop thinking about how mad I was last year that I had to go to work even though there was a foot of snow on the ground. This year it would be totally awesome to have it snow!

We both started laughing! Needless to say, I am constantly dreaming up crazy things!

2010-02-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

I completely forgot about this story...

Earlier this week I was stopped at a stoplight (after dark) and decided to pull my phone out to check my email. All of a sudden I hear continuous honking. I was completely startled and started to look around. Next to me I noticed an older Ford pickup truck with two dirty, white-trash worker type men, waving their hands at me. Apparently they were pissed off that I was on my phone (since it's against the law and all) and were trying to signal me to put it down. The weird part about this is that I have tinted windows, so were they closely watching my every move? Second of all why the heck do they care if I was on my phone checking my email? Third of all I wanted to give them the middle finger, but then I talked myself out of it because I wasn't going to drop to their level! My heart was sure pumping after that one!

2010-02-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

{It's Friday!}

A little list on a rainy Friday:

*Hubby got home safely last night and was happy to report that there were no signs of a little mouse in the garage!

*I'm in the editing phase of a paper that is due by midnight tonight, woo-hoo almost done!

*I have a little DIY project up my sleeve to hid unsightly computer cords in Hubby's home office!

*I've made my list for next week's menu and I'm heading to Trader Joes shortly! (I actually enjoy menu planning-who would have thought?!)

*Tomorrow we're going to a movie at a fabulous place that serves dinner too. It's a new-ish establishment and it sounds amazing!

*Monday I don't have school and I get to watch my amazing nephew for a little while!

Ta-Ta for now!

***Edited to add: I fixed my grammatical error! Maybe I should edit my blog posts and my papers for school! :)

****Edited to add again: My kind mother pointed out that I made another grammatical error...thanks mom...

2010-02-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

{Raccoons, Squirrels and a Mouse}

I'm going nuts! I need Brendan to reserve a padded room at the crazy bin! The little critters that call our .25 acres of suburbia home, are driving me crazy! We have a family of raccoons that likes to squeal in the dark hours of the night and leave their poop behind! They are gross! Huge creatures with glow-in-the-dark eyes! Also, we have squirrels that frolic around our yard as though it's their own little jungle-gym! I was looking out the window and a squirrel popped out of no where and made me jump through the ceiling just now! Then, there was the mouse that I spotted in the garage last week! I thought I was going to faint! I absolutely hate rodents! They completely freak me out even though they are tiny! So since that little incident I have not ventured out to the garage! I think it was Brendan's idea to plant the mouse, so I would leave his man-zone alone! Haha I'm funny, but I think it actually freaked him out too! So the next day we went out and bought poison! I don't know if we killed anything, because A: I don't go out there and B: Brendan was out of town for work. So tonight when his cute little buns walk through the door, I will give him a kiss after he checks the poison and the garage! I hope it makes sense why I'm going crazy! There are just too many little critters running around!

P.S. Our neighbors have a peanut feeder on their deck! I think all of these lovely animals are attracted to the food over there!

2010-01-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

{Shattered Dreams}

When we closed on our house last September, visions of pretty decor and a large tax refund danced in my mind. Well, fast forward to last night. Those wonderful visions of a large tax return were shot down! If we didn't have the First Time Home Buyer Credit deduction we would have had to pay! Therefore, we aren't getting the wonderful $8000! We're getting the $8000 less the amount we owed! Come on, I thought we were going to get all of the interest back that we paid on our mortgage payments, and a chunk of our closing costs, but nope! I guess it comes down to, the more you make the more they take.

I do have a little piece of mind knowing that next year they will have to give us a big return because the good old husband is the only one makin' the cheddar! Oh and we will have a whole year of tuition payments and mortgage interest to deduct! Haha Mr. Government, what do you think about that?!

Also, last night we were further annoyed when we found out that we couldn't file our taxes online. We have to print and mail them in. The annoying thing about this it that the refund takes longer and we didn't have any black toner in our printer (I printed a 37 page online reading for school earlier). So I suggested that we print it in pink or purple ink to show them! Brendan didn't think that would be such a good idea! Haha! I guess we will be picking up black toner today.

2010-01-27T16:59:00.001-08:00

{Random Thoughts}

1. I received a grade of 3.7 on my Technological Autobiography paper which was about blogging! I am so excited!

2. I have my first exam tomorrow! I'm a little nervous, but not really, because the professor is allowing a 1 page outline for the essay portion of the exam.

3. Today in my Literature class, a girl sat in front of me and played on FaceBook during the entire 2 hour and 5 minute class. I was so annoyed! It's like come on girlfriend, you are spending $2,525 per quarter to sit and play on FaceBook?!?

4. I'm excited for Valentine's Day! I can't wait to dig out our lovey decor!

5. It's almost Friday (well my Friday, which is Thursday!)

2010-01-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

Happy 24th Birthday, Brendan!

I hope you've enjoyed your special day!

You are the best husband and I am so grateful you're mine!

I Love you!!

2010-01-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Mom!

You are the most amazing woman and I'm so proud to call you Mom!

I Love you!

2010-01-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

{Keep on Writin'}

I'm currently working on a paper, due Monday, on the differences between two literary works from the 1850's, and how the female main characters try to balance the different Spheres of society, the Public Sphere and the Private Sphere. But, I'm just not feeling the whole, write a four page paper, and make it witty and include quotes, and show how you can 'read closely' right now. But the interesting thing I've come to learn is that women who worked outside of the home during this time period, were viewed as dirty, manly and untouchable by their husbands. Boy, oh, boy have things changed?! It is so interesting to me to learn about how our societal norms have shifted and changed over the years!

Another interesting learning experience from this week, is that I wrote a four pager on Monday, in regards to my Technological Autobiography for my Media and Society class. I had to pick a technological medium that I use closely on a daily basis. I decided to write about the world of blogging. Wow, who would have thought that blogging would some how be incorporated into my school life? Very interesting!

Alright, I guess I should get back to my paper writing! :)

I'm trying...

2010-01-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, I'm loving my new role as a domestic goddess. Although, I must say that all the domestic intuitions haven't kicked in, for example:

Hubby: Hey hun, do you know why my underwear are hairy? It looks like it might be Bella hair.

Me: Well, umm.... Ok, do you want the truth.

Hubby: Um, yes...

Me: Ok, I had a brilliant idea to wash Bella's blanket with our underpants, since they both needed to be washed in hot water.

Hubby: Oh hun. Well, that was a great idea, but, maybe next time you shouldn't wash the dog's stuff with our undergarments.

Me: Yes, I already decided that. Hey, don't be so cynical; I'm new at this job.

Hubby: You're trying really hard; I'm sorry!

A few nights later I attempted to make rice crispy treats with left over Christmas marshmallows. Well, unless you want brown rice crispy treats, I suggest NOT mixing red and green marshmallows with your rice crispies. Also, I suggest not serving warm rice crispy treats on napkins, they will stick to the napkin! One last thing, rice crispy treats should NOT be stored in the fridge. You will definitely end up being a hard mess and when you try cutting it, rice crispies will go everywhere, (including your hair).

Anyways, I'm trying and as my mom has told me, "you'll get there".

{2010 So Far}

2010-01-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

Well 2010 has started off on the right track! I don't think I could be anymore content with our lives right now. I LOVE not working! I'm also loving school, even though I have a ton of homework every night. I am also enjoying my role as a Domestic Goddess; our home has been perfect since I quit my job. No dirty dishes, dirty floors, dirty bathrooms, excess laundry, etc. I have also been really good about planning out our meals in advance and then doing one big grocery trip per week. Brendan is working hard as ever at his job! I will forever be grateful for his support in my educational endeavor! As the rain increases around here, we've been itching to plan a little getaway during my spring break. I don't know if this idea will work, but we're trying to pull something together!

On the home front, we're still without a shower (thanks for letting us use your shower, Mom & Dad) we're also left with several small projects that must get completed before we host a house-warming party. Also, we've been planning out our landscaping and outside living spaces to be tackled in the Spring! We're also tinkering with the idea of adding french doors from our master bedroom to our backyard. I think it would be lovely to wake up on a Saturday morning and sip coffee on our own little deck.

Well that's all I have for now, since I haven't hooked up my new camera...

2010-01-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I'm sitting here typing from my new laptop! I just organized my school supplies and am getting ready for my first day back at school! Even though we eliminated an income on the 31st, I am very calm and excited with the new path my life is taking! I am so excited that I will FINALLY receive my bachelor's degree in 5 quarters! Life is good! (I've already started my list of wishful graduation presents!)

I am also excited that I finally received a new camera! I can't wait to take 'after' pictures of our new home! I still can't believe how much we have done to this little house over the past 4 months! Tomorrow night the camera will be removed from the box and hopefully I will capture some fun images!

Good night!

Ohhhh, Nine, where have you gone?

2009-12-30T08:10:00.000-08:00

{January:} We traveled to Disneyland for a little weekend getaway. We celebrated Brendan's 23rd birthday! We also put an offer on a townhouse; later we found out that was NOT the place for us to live. I started this crazy, little blog!

{February:}We continued to look for our first house...

{March:} We put an offer on a condo by the lake; we soon found out that there were pending lawsuits and big problems that would cost a lot of $$$! Needless to say we retracted our offer. At the end of the month we spent eight days in Cabo San Lucas; it was the perfect time to think about our next house decision...

{April:} We decided to move out of my parent's house and rent a townhouse. We were frustrated with our housing search and decided we would rent for the next year.

{May:} We finally felt settled in our townhouse, but the thought of buying a house still lingered in our minds.

{June:} We celebrated my 23rd birthday!

{July:} We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary in California. We enjoyed Newport Beach, LA, Disneyland and visited friends too!

{August:} Brendan went to California again to visit friends! We decided that it was a waste of money to rent for the next year and that we would be dumb to not take advantage of the $8000 first time home buyer incentive! We called up our real estate agent (Cousin Tami!) and we started looking again! We found our little abode shortly after looking and felt like we couldn't live without the house! We signed the paperwork and were able to close shortly after...

{September:} We closed on our first house, 30 days after we put our offer in! We felt so blessed to be buying our first home at the age of 23! We closed on the 11th and started renovations on the 12th and I went on a business trip to Las Vegas on the 14th!

{October:} Our lives revolved around the new house. At this point our neighborhood Home Depot employees knew us by name!

{November:} I decide to apply back to school. After receiving my acceptance letter, I decided that I would quit my job of 2.5 years and I would focus on my studies come January. We also bought a new car.

{December:} We celebrate our nephew's first birthday! We celebrate our first Christmas in our first home and continue to feel blessed with our house! December 31st will be my last day of work!

Overall, 2009 was another great year!

Here's to a great 2010 too!

Life realizations at Toys R Us

2009-12-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

While leaving Toys R Us last night, with Talan's last Birthday gift in hand, Brendan and I had the following conversation:

Me: Wow, that store is so dirty and icky!

Bren: I know! A toy store should not be that dirty and messy!

Bren: Also, I remember the store being a lot bigger!

Me: I know! Oh, how I wish I was a kid again...

Bren: Me too!

Me: Maybe we should stick to Target.

Bren: Good idea!

This and that and a Little Turkey

2009-12-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Another busy weekend is in store for us! Tonight we will be busy installing crown molding in our kitchen, dining room and hallways. I also need to finish organizing my office and start wrapping presents. Tomorrow morning I have an appointment to get my hair foiled and cut before the holidays (I'm starting to look like I came from a trailer park). Then tomorrow evening we will be hosting a little shindig at our house! Then on Sunday Brendan, Bella and I are going to Seattle to finish up our Christmas shopping. I hope we get everything done!

P.S. I forgot to post this cute picture from Thanksgiving!

Spoiled Sweet

2009-12-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Since Brendan and I don't have our own kids to spoil, we've decided that we would spoil our nephew, Talan. Since the little monkey's birthday is December 22 and Christmas is just a few days later, we started stocking up early! I seriously can't stop myself from going into Nordstrom, Gymboree, Baby Gap, Pumpkin Patch and Janie & Jack! Those stores have a strong magnetic force that always seems to grab me! Our latest purchase is a darling pair of True Religion Jeans! They are so cute, I just couldn't resist! I also couldn't resist the mini Ed Hardy shirt and mini black converse shoes! Talan is going to be the stud of the neighborhood! :)

2009-12-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

Dearest Visa Bank Card,

You have been dearly missed! I feel so bad that my irresponsible husband lost you and we had to cancel you! We went a full SEVEN days without the ability to swipe! Man oh man, our bank statement will probably be slimmed down from the usual five pages to three or four! I didn't realize how much I counted on you until you weren't there for me during my daily Starbucks run! I'm sorry that I cheated on you with real money, although, it really wasn't that great! I had to run to the bank every few days to grab my cash for life's necessities (target, coffee, lunch, etc).

Don't worry, this little mishap will not happen again (I threatened the husband)!

Sincerely,

Alison

2009-12-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

Holy Moly, life has been busy! We have had one million things going on at once! We are still trying to finish up our remodel! Our goal is to be fully living in the house before school starts. Yes, school! I have officially quit my job and will be attending school full-time to finish up my bachelor's degree! I am so thankful for a supportive husband who is behind me with my goal to be a full-time student and part-time domestic goddess. His only request is that I attempt to cook dinner a few nights a week! :)

On the home front things are coming right along. Last week our new fridge was delivered, which now means we have all necessary appliances to cook a meal! We also had our new hot-water tank installed last week! Brendan also installed new shelving in my office. I've been organizing all of my craft supplies, holiday gift wrap and ribbon and just enjoying organizing another aspect of my life! :)

This week we are installing crown molding in our kitchen, hallways, dining room and possibly one of our home offices. I think this will pull everything together and won't require us to pull out the paint brushes to touch-up the horrible trim work that we did months ago! We also still need to decided on our kitchen shelving! We are having a very hard time determining the right storage solution for our bright Fiesta dinnerware!

Still no pictures...

Friday the 13th!

2009-11-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

On the eve of Friday the 13th, one of my co-workers rang my extension, and this is how our conversation went:

CW: Alison! Tomorrow is Fridaaayyy the 13th!

Me: Yup, I know.

CW: Oh my gosh be careful tomorrow!

Me: OK, why are you telling me this.

CW: We all know you are the biggest klutz!

Me: What do you mean?

CW: Come on, you're always tripping on the carpet, up stairs, down the stairs and running into things.

Me: Oh yeah! Thank you for the warning!

It made me laugh that she thought of me when she realized it was going to be Friday the 13th!

2009-11-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

Dearest house,

It's been officially two months since we adopted you! Everyone said that our lives wouldn't be the same after you became ours; and everyone was right! We can't walk in a room without planning out our next project. If it's not paint, then it's curtains, or molding or fixtures. The list could go on and on. With all of our great projects you are looking better and better and before you know it we will be introducing you to our family and friends. Hopefully we will be all moved in with a working shower and refrigerator by month three.

Sincerely,

Your loving owners

{From a house to a home}

2009-11-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Well after another busy weekend of home improvement projects, I still don't have pictures! Lame, I know! I definitely need to get a new camera battery or a new camera all together! I am hoping to borrow my mom's camera this weekend to take some shots!

It's so exciting that house is turning into a home! I've noticed that the small details make a huge difference! I have all kinds of crazy ideas in my head; some ideas we have used and some are still lingering. For example, I convinced Brendan to take the door off the entry way closet! He was a little confused, but after I described my brilliant 'mud room' idea, I had him on my side! So we no longer have a door on our closet! I love how it turned out. We patched the holes from the door hinges, added a few coats of glossy paint and viola, a cute little mud room!

I also have convinced Brendan of the idea to paint chalk board paint on the pantry door. I told him that we need something extra in there. He agreed! We haven't purchased the paint or figured out how to paint a straight rectangle, but we're getting there! I am hoping to tackle this project soon!

That's all for now!

It's almost Friday!

2009-11-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful that it's almost Friday! This week has been a rough one! I am looking forward to finally starting to move into our new home this weekend! We are down to only a few more projects that need to be completed:

-New hot water tank

-New shower surround

-Installation of interior doors

-New fridge

-Installation of kitchen shelving (see below!)

-Touch-up paint work (OMG blue tape doesn't work!)

Photo from PotteryBarn.

I will hopefully have pictures to post by Monday! :)

2009-11-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Live the life you have imagined.

-Henry David Thoreau

*After having a horrible Monday, I thought I would start Tuesday off with one of my favorite quotes!

My life is complete.

2009-11-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

Here is a small excerpt from one of our recent conversations:

Me: My life is complete now that I have a back-up camera in the car.

Hubby: You are too funny!

Me: You think I'm joking, but I'm not!

Hubby: Ok, hun.

Me: Hey, they should think about putting a camera on the front bumper too. Then I don't have to worry about hitting things in the front or the back.

Hubby: I think they call that camera, eyes!

Me: Oh, ok. I guess you're right.

Blah, Blah, Blog...

2009-11-02T08:06:00.001-08:00

Well it has been awhile since I've posted last. (Please excuse me while I dust the cobwebs from my keyboard). OK, I'm ready to roll. It's been busy again at the Gilroy Casa! Unfortunately, we still aren't totally moved in! We still need to finish installing our range & hood. We also need to put a shower in and a hot water tank in!!! Seriously if it's not one thing it's another!

There are also other big changes that are in the works and taking too much time and causing lots of stressful moments for me! (I'm horrible at stress management...just ask the hubby or my mom! :) I will post details as soon as everything is finalized!

We had a fabulous Halloween Hangin with my sis/B-I-L/Baby Talan! We got take-out and purchased a scary movie while tending to the door when little goblins rang for candy!

Also, I can't wait to go shopping after Thanksgiving! It's all I've been thinking about since we rolled over to November!

The cutest little spider!

Falling in Love with Fall

2009-10-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Talan's first visit to the pumpkin patch!

We're getting closer!

2009-10-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well another weekend has come and gone, at the Gilroy homestead! On Saturday we finished painting the door molding, installed the washer & dryer, touched up the kitchen cabinet doors, installed the new kitchen cabinet hardware and prepped for the living room flooring to be installed on Sunday! We also picked up new window treatments for the master bedroom, guest bedroom and office! Brendan was also thrilled to purchase the TV wall-mount for the living room; he seriously looked like a child on Christmas morning!

On Sunday my lovely dad and brother-in-law helped install our new living room floor while my mom, sister, Talan and I went shopping and to the pumpkin patch! I think it was a great day, I got to shop, spend time with family and I got new living room flooring! :) Anyways, the boys did a fabulous job installing the floor, I really couldn't be any happier! It looks wonderful-just how we envisioned it!

Before:

After:

You probably have this job for a reason...

2009-10-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

I just received a very odd phone call:

Me: Hello

Michelle: Is this Alison?

Me: Yes...

Michelle: I'm calling regarding your final move out payment.

Me: Oh great, we've been waiting for our last statement.

Michelle: About that, can you please pay us for that?

Me: I would have to receive the bill to write you a check...

Michelle: Well it looks like we mailed it on the 14th.

Me: Well today is the 16th so it might be in my mailbox today.

Michelle: Please pay that as soon as possible.

Me: Will do as soon as I get the bill... Thanks bye!!!

Michelle: Thank you!

Hello! How could I pay a bill that I haven't even received?!? Duh!

Carpet, paint and molding, oh my!

2009-10-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well another weekend has come and gone at the Glamorous Gilroy household! We had a very productive and fun weekend completing projects! The bedroom carpet was installed on Friday and then yesterday my brother in law installed the molding! It looks so amazing that I can actually picture living there (it was a little scary for the last month)!

We finally covered the yellow kitchen walls with glossy mocha paint and painted our kitchen cupboards white! Oh my gosh we will no longer have to deal with a sea of 90's oak cabinets! The transformation is amazing, not perfect but 2000% better! On Saturday we ventured to Ikea...to buy new kitchen handles and knobs! They had just what we were looking for, oil rubbed bronze hardware and it was CHEAP! We also found a cute system for holding utensils in little flower-pot looking bins to hang under the kitchen shelving! We purchased all of these fun items for under $75!

The fireplace is finally completed! After scraping UGLY brown tiles off the bench of the fireplace, spray painting the cover black and painting the brick white, the project is DONE!

Hopefully I will post pictures soon! :)

Home Ownership: The Un-Glamorous Edition

2009-10-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

*Carpet ended up costing us double the price that we planned on.

*We forgot about needing to Killz the floor until 9:00 pm last night (carpet is going in today, so we had to run to Home Depot late last night!)

*Molding was delivered unpainted...which means MORE painting!

*Painting the kitchen cabinets has been a mess!

*We need a new hot water tank!

*The old dishwasher was hardwired in, which means we need the electrician to come out again to put a plug in!

*We are terrible paint trimmers...there are several spots that need to be touched up!

We still love our home even though she's being a pest! :)

{Love}

2009-10-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today while grabbing a salad from my local Subway, I had a very interesting conversation with my salad maker...

Him: Someone must love you.

Me: Ummmm..... (I'm thinking he's talking about the new bin of tomatoes he just pulled out).

Him: That's a big wedding ring on your finger.

Me: Haha, this old thing.

I thought this was really weird! I've never had a man comment on my ring before!

We're no longer renters!

2009-10-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last night we moved our remaining belongings out of our apartment! Brendan made a comment of saying, "wow, we will never be renters again!" This is so exciting!

Tonight we will direct our attention to our house baby. (We decided the house is like our baby since it takes so much attention, oh ya and we love it!)

These are the tasks we still need to complete:
*Paint door and window trim w/ glossy white paint.
*Install new doorknobs on all interior and exterior doors.
*Install new lighting.
*Re-install kitchen cabinets.
*Paint kitchen cabinets w/ glossy white paint.
*Purchase & install kitchen/bath flooring.
*Purchase & install bedroom carpet.
*Install hardwood floors in main living area.
*Create custom shelving in kitchen to hold Fiesta Ware (I'm so excited about this!)
*Finish little 'mud room'.
*Install new shower surround.
*Buy & install new bathroom vanity.
*Weed the yard!

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure several other tasks will be added to this list!

Image found here

This is the type of shelving we're going to install above our kitchen sink! I'm so excited!

Un-Glamorous Gilroy Happenings

2009-09-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

We're going crazy over here! I think the blog should temporarily be re-named the 'Un-Glamorous Gilroy Happenings'! Oh my goodness! We've been working hard to move everything from our apartment into either our new garage or my parent's house or my in law's house in the rain! Our apartment has two flights of stairs, which makes for very sore legs! So tonight I have to rush to the apartment after work to pack up the rest of our 'stuff', I will then clean the entire place and hand over keys. Oh and how could I have forgotten, I also have to write a ridiculously large check to break our lease! Ahh...I'm seeing the money go down the toilet as I type!

Also, on top of moving, rain and sore legs, there is always something new happening with the new house! Last night we realized we have two leaky windows in our house. We also found out that we have to replace the bathroom vanity because at one point there was a leak that caused the bottom of the vanity to rot. Hmm...I guess we'll be heading to Home Depot again!

Hopefully my next post is more positive! :)

Where do I start?!

2009-09-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

-We closed on our house on 09/11/09.

-We started ripping everything out of the house on 09/12/09.

-We are updating almost everything about the interior of the house.

So far we have:

-Removed all of the flooring in the house.
-Painted every single wall in the house.
-Painted all of the doors white.
-Ripped out a half wall in the living room.
-Tore down faux wood finish on the ceiling beam in the living room.
-Fixed multiple dry wall cracks.
-Removed wall texture from a large living room wall.
-Hung new dry wall in the shower.
-Removed all kitchen cupboards.
-Bought all new appliances.
-Created a small 'mud room' out of a closet.
-Been to Home Depot every day since we became homeowners.
-Filled 25 black garbage bags with yard debris.
-Tore down all of the bamboo from the front yard.

Now for the nasty before pictures!

(This is NOT our stuff!)

*I will post 'after' pictures once we are actually done and living in the house.

**We still haven't completely moved out of our townhouse.

***We are living at my parent's house again! :)

****Our belongings are currently in the garage at our new house, at my parent's house, at my in law's house and still at the apartment!

Tuesday-4pm

2009-09-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday at 3:00pm the escrow company called to see if we could be at their office by four! Wow, thanks for the notice! Anyways, we are so excited that we've made it this far, that we both figure out how to leave work early and make it to the escrow company by four. Well our excitement slowly faded as we waited and waited in the lobby. When we finally met with the escrow manager, our visions of a HGTV style closing, vanished from our minds. This lady was awful! She was rude, and didn't feel the need to explain any of the documents to us. She then asked us for our down payment, and said she didn't show a deposit of $5,000 that we had given as earnest money! I was really upset because the money had already cleared our bank, and she was saying that there was no record of it. Well, one quick phone call later, that was all straightened out, but she never apologized for assuming that we were lying about the money. She also said that it might not be possible to receive possession of the keys until the following week! I was really upset because I was leaving on a business trip to Las Vegas, the day we would be receiving the keys! Anyways, one hour later we were on our way out of there, annoyed with our experience, but eager to get our keys... I frantically called our real estate agent, Tami, and she helped calm Brendan and I down. She was also annoyed that we had a bad experience with the closing company. Oh well, everything worked out, and now we're on our way to becoming home owners!

Kitchen Inspiration!

2009-09-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

I love everything about this kitchen!

Found here!

New House!

2009-09-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

If everything continues to move along as planned, we will be homeowners next week! We are so excited for this new adventure! We've already picked out paint colors, new flooring, new appliances, outdoor furniture, new counter tops, etc! The only thing we're not looking forward to is packing up and moving again! Since we've been married we've lived in six different places! Yikes! I definitely hate packing, moving, unpacking, etc! Oh well, this time we will be staying put for a few years!

(Picture taken from online listing.)

* We're going to remove the bamboo from the front yard to open up the space. There is a lot of potential with landscaping since it's a corner lot on almost 1/4 of an acre!

Did you just put lip gloss on?

2009-09-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

On our way to the grocery store earlier this week, hubby and I had the following conversation.

First: My phone rings and I turn down the radio volume to answer the call. This conversation happened after I hung up the phone and hubby went to turn up the volume.

Hubby: Did you just put lip gloss on?

Me: No, why are you asking?

Hubby: There is something slimy on the volume knob.

Me: That's odd.

Hubby: Did you have a booger on your finger?

Me: No, gross!

Hubby: Haha!

2009-09-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!

Enjoy your special day!

Love notes!

2009-08-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

I saw this quiz today and thought it would be fun to do! Enjoy!

♥ What are your middle names? James & Marie

♥ How long have you been together? Eight years; we dated for five years and have been married for three years.

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? Ten years! We've known each other since kindergarten!

♥ Who asked whom out? Brendan did!

♥ How old are each of you? 23

♥ Whose siblings do/did you see the most? Mine (we can't resist the baby!)

♥ Do you have any children together? Nope!

♥ What about pets? Bella Jayne!

♥ Did you go to the same school? Yes, kindergarten through high school!

♥ Who is the smartest? Book smarts = me; common sense = Brendan

♥ Who is more sensitive? Definitely me!

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple? Mexican food!

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Hmm... Maui or Cabo or New York.

♥ Who has the craziest exes? Neither.

♥ Who has the worst temper? Haha depends, we're both pretty stubborn!

♥ Who does the cooking? Brendan does all of the cooking! He even makes my lunch every morning before he leaves for work!

♥ Who is more social? Brendan! I'm known for not answering the phone, cancelling on people, etc! Brendan loves going out and meeting people! He always makes friends wherever we go!

♥ Who is the neat-freak? We are both neat-freaks! Although, I was diagnosed with OCD as a child!

♥ Who is more stubborn? Hmm... we are both pretty stubborn!

♥ Who hogs the bed? Me! I like to sleep at an angle!

♥ Who wakes up earlier? Brendan gets up at 4:45 and I get up at 6:00.

♥ Where was your first date? We went to a movie! We were only 15 at the time, so our parents had to drive us!

♥ Who has the bigger family? We both have small families.

♥ Do you get flowers often? Yes, Brendan is great about bringing flowers home for no reason! He also has been known to send flowers to my work when I'm having a bad day!

♥ How do you spend the holidays? Sometimes we travel and sometimes we stay home and visit both sides.

♥ Who is more jealous? Neither.

♥ How long did it take to get serious? Shortly after we started dating! Very crazy considering we were in high school!

♥ Who eats more? Brendan, but I have a very manly appetite too!

♥ Who does/did the laundry? Me!

♥ Who’s better with the computer? Brendan.

♥ Who drives when you are together? Brendan always drives because he thinks I'm a scary driver!

2009-08-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

This evening before heading to the grocery store with my mom, the following conversation took place:

Mom: We're headed to the grocery store, do you need anything?

Dad: Well if you're going to the kind of store that has paper towels, we need them.

Me: Mom, what kind of grocery stores don't carry paper towels?

Mom: I just ignore him sometimes!

Haha! I guess that's what you learn to do after being married 30+ years!

2009-08-28T08:14:00.001-07:00

Dear my lovely husband,

Please bring home these gorgeous Kate Spade pumps from California.

You've caused me much grief by leaving me at home while you're enjoying the California sunshine! I think I've truly earned these shoes!

Please do the right thing and stow these beauties in your carry-on bag!

With love,

Your darling wife

Hubby and I...

2009-08-27T08:22:00.001-07:00

Hubby is leaving for California this afternoon.

I am working all afternoon.

Hubby is going to be in California until Sunday.

I will be sleepless in Seattle until Sunday.

Hubby is going to San Diego to walk the board walk.

I'm going to the gym to run the treadmill.

He is excited.

I am not.

***Don't feel too bad for me because I'm going to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks!

2009-08-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

Where oh where does the time go?

We've been:

-Working long days (10-14 hours)

-Waiting to close on a house (cross your fingers)

-Visiting my Grandma (she's recovering from surgery)

-Camping

-Boating

-Shopping (haha when do we not?!)

-Dreaming of our future home improvement projects!

-Enjoying the sunshine

-Wishing to see our nephew more (that's a hint Shawna!)

Until next time I'll leave you with a picture of our doghter, Bella!

2009-07-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

Follow these easy steps to make a bad day at work a good day at work:

1. Ask co-workers if they want popsicles.
2.Convince a co-worker to go pick up popsicles.
3. Make sure you try one of each flavor! (There may or may not have been three flavors!)

Record breaking temps!

2009-07-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

*I like how the prediction for yesterday's weather was 98 degrees, but at our house it was probably 107 degrees at the hottest point during the day!

Are skirts now for males and females?

2009-07-29T08:19:00.001-07:00

This morning I decided to wear a white linen skirt to work. Shortly after arriving at work one of my male co-workers came in wearing shorts. I said, "wow, you're wearing shorts today" and he replied with,"Yup. Wow, you're wearing a skirt today. I was also thinking about wearing a skirt today". Hmm...the scary thing is that he was dead serious when he said he was thinking about wearing a skirt! Yikes this place gets crazier by the day!!

Global Climate Change?!?

2009-07-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

Seattle Weather Forecast from accuweather.com:

Tuesday, Jul 28
High: 96 °F RealFeel®: 98 °F

Wednesday, Jul 29
High: 99 °F RealFeel®: 100 °F

Crazy!

Hot, Hot, Hot!

2009-07-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

With our Seattle heat wave scheduled to commence tomorrow, I thought it would be appropriate to post our Cabo pictures (from April!!). While in Cabo we enjoyed a blissful ocean view, 90 degree temperatures and many margaritas! We're already planning our return, but hope next time there isn't a Flu outbreak while we're there!

2009-07-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July 2009!

2009-07-14T11:16:00.001-07:00

Well we're back to the daily grind and have many memories to share! This trip was definitely an interesting one!

Here is a recap of our trip:

Thursday: We arrived at the Long Beach Airport at 9:30. We found our limo driver and hopped in the car. He asks as how to get to where we're going. The hubby and I instantly look at each other with puzzled expressions. Hubby replies by telling him we're from out of state and when he booked the limo, the receptionist said she would give the driver directions. Well, the driver had no idea where we were headed, but he proceeded towards the freeway anyway. 1.5 hours later we're in the middle of a nowhere. The limo driver continually made references to God and how you don't need to go to the doctor because God will let you know if you're supposed to be alive or dead... Well needless to say, we were freaked out! Our cell phones were dying, we were in the middle of nowhere, we couldn't find the auction where we were picking up 'our' ride and were scared to death! We ended up having the driver take us to our hotel in Newport Beach. We arrived at our hotel with sour moods and empty pockets! The entire ride cost $260! So we checked into our hotel and dreamt up plans for retrieving 'our' car!

Friday: We woke up bright and early with smiles on our faces (we were smiling because we weren't dead in the middle of nowhere)! We decided that we would take the hotel shuttle to the John Wayne Airport and we would rent a car to get to Fontana, CA to pick up the company car! I ended up having to rent the car because, AVIS requires drivers who are under 25 to pay with a credit card. Well, hubby left his credit card at home because "we don't use credit cards". So I happily drove 85 miles per hour down four different highways to Fontana. We found the Escalade and proceeded back to Newport. We parked the rental car at our hotel and drove to the nearest In-N-Out burger for a little snack! We then ventured towards Beverly Hills and West Hollywood for some afternoon shopping! Once the sun started to set we headed back to Newport Beach for a fabulous Mexican dinner on the beach. We topped off the night with shopping and PinkBerry at Fashion Island!

Saturday: We woke up early to return the rental car. We then checked out of our hotel and did some early morning shopping at South Coast Plaza. After a few purchases we hopped back in the car and headed to our friend's house in Murrieta. Along the way we saw a huge Pottery Barn Outlet store! We stopped at the outlet mall and left with a few treasures! I also left wondering why WA doesn't have cool outlets like Cali! The temperature was nice and hot! 104 degrees! Once we got to our destination, we decided on Mexican for lunch! We enjoyed spending time with our friends and relaxed by the pool for the afternoon.

Sunday: We woke up early and headed to the airport. While sitting on the plane, there was an announcement that the flight was delayed. Ugh we were definitely annoyed! So we sat for another 30 minutes until there was another announcement; one of the flight attendants on the flight down became injured from intense turbulence and would not be able to work the flight back to Seattle. So they had to call a replacement and it could take three to four hours! We decided to get off the plane and see if we could fly out Monday morning instead. The ticketing counter was very helpful; they booked us on the 6:55 flight on Monday morning! Hooray! But now what? Hmm... well we went and rented a car and were on our way...but to where! Well we brainstormed at a nearby Starbucks and quickly decided to spend the day at Disneyland! Hubby booked a hotel room via his IPhone while I cruised down the freeway! We checked into our hotel and quickly walked over to Disneyland! We spent seven straight hours enjoying the happiest place on earth!

Monday: We woke up at 4:00 am to catch our early flight back to reality!

The End!

Food Frenzy!

2009-07-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Before we leave for vacation Brendan and I always make our lists of places we want to see while we're gone. This time we came up with a lot of food places! haha! We instantly thought hmm... should we bring our running shoes to burn off all the calories?! We definitely decided to leave our Nike's in the closet, after all it is a vacation!

Here is our food list:

-In-N-Out Burger

-Sonic Burger

-Sprinkles Cupcakes

-Pinkberry

I must stop typing...my mouth has definitely started watering!

Three years already?!?

2009-07-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness it's been a crazy week! Yesterday we celebrated three years of marital bliss by eating take-out and packing for our little getaway! Haha how's that for romantic?!

Tonight our flight to Long Beach leaves at 6:55. We will arrive in Cali at 9:30. We will then take a towne car to pick up a company car that my husband purchased for their dealership. We will then drive to our hotel in Newport Beach. I'm hoping to be tucked into bed by midnight! It's definitely going to be a long day! Oh well, it's totally worth the drive to the middle of nowhere to pick up 'our' escalade, because we all know how dorky tourists look driving the token Impala rental cars around town!

For the rest of the weekend we're planning on shopping, laying on the beach and dining out! It should be a very enjoyable weekend!

2009-07-03T11:52:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday we're going to preview the goodies that will be on sale at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! I am so excited!

2009-06-30T10:40:00.001-07:00

I love her bangs! I'm wondering if I should bring this picture to my hairstylist on Thursday?!

2009-06-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Alaska Airlines,

I'm very disappointed that you decided to start charging for checked luggage on July 7th 2009. We will be flying with you on July 9th 2009. This means we will have to stuff our clothes into our carry on bags because we refuse to pay $15 per checked bag for a four day trip.

I'm just appalled that you decided to turn your back on me after all the great times we've had together...New York, Cabo, California, Florida, etc.

Anyways if you would like to make it up to me, you can give me thousands of airline miles and then I will continue to travel with you!

Until next time,

Loyal Customer

2009-06-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

07-08-09

On 07-08-09 the hubby and I will celebrate three years of marital bliss! I think we need to find a special way to celebrate on a special kind of date!

One Kings Lane

2009-06-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to gracious invite from Blue Eyed Bride, I can now enjoy shopping at One Kings Lane! One Kings Lane is a fabulous website offering amazing discounts on top home decor brands! Please let me know if anyone would like to be invited!

Random Thoughts & Happenings...

2009-06-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

*My creative side hates being trapped in from 7:30-4:00 Monday-Friday!

*My husband works more than anyone I know; and he enjoys being there!

*I'm dying to help my mom re-decorate her house.

*We're settling well at our new abode.

*We've been discussing the purchase of a vacation condo.

*We might go to Los Angeles for our anniversary.

*We've almost been married THREE years!

*Our little doghter-Bella has turned anorexic because she misses her Grandma!

*I'm so happy tomorrow is Friday!

Birthday Happenings!

2009-06-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

(Zebra shower Curtain for guest bathroom)

(Le Creuset tea infuser)

(New Tiffany's necklace)

(My very own mixer)

(Pier 1 gift card for new bedroom curtains)

(New book)

Camera

=

Amazing Birthday!

2009-05-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Watch out Talan, I wouldn't be surprised if Ralph Lauren knocked on your nursery door and wanted you to do some modeling!

Picture taken from here!

2009-05-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Busy Bee Weekend:

Friday:
*Unpack boxes full of china hutch contents.
*Go through 'stuff' for tomorrow's garage sale.
*Price items for garage sale.

Saturday:
*Take stuff to sister's garage sale; enjoy time with mom, sister, BIL and nephew.
*Hubby works 7-4.
*Move bedroom set from the parental's house.
*Attempt to move shoes, clothes and purses...this will take a looong time!
*Have early Birthday dinner with the in-laws.

Sunday:
*Organize master bedroom.
*Drop off duvet and down comforter at the dry cleaner.
*Shop for a zebra picture for the den.
*Early Birthday dinner with my family.
*Grocery shop/Costco run (we have no food!).

Monday:
*My Birthday! (try to work a half day, depends on how much I get done today).
*Manicure & Pedicure (Pure Bliss!)!
*Dinner at one of my favorite Mexican restaurant in Kirkland!
*Surprise luxury car for the night from the hubby's work!
*Hopefully more Birthday surprises from the hubby!
*Renew driver's license!

Can I see your ID?

2009-05-27T08:44:00.001-07:00

One week from my 23rd birthday, I was carded for buying a R-Rated movie (I didn't realize we were buying a movie, but the hubster pulled a fast one on me). Anyways, after the clerk checked my ID, he was completely shocked that I was almost 23! HAHA I guess this is a compliment? Hopefully when I'm 40 I'll look 25 (ha one can dream)!!

We're Outta Here!

2009-05-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

We're moving this weekend and are happy the sun will be out!

I'll be back with pictures as soon as the internet is hooked up!

Ta-Ta for now!

Stay Classy Seattle...

2009-05-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here's an example of why I go running out my office door at 4:00 pm on the DOT:

***Conversation with young, female co-worker (WT = White Trash):

Me: Who is getting married? (I saw wedding written on her calendar).

WT: Umm I don't know them but this guy I know, knows them and I'm going with him to the wedding.

Me: Hmm...interesting.

WT: I got a new dress to wear!

Me: Really, what does it look like (I'm picturing a Kmart special)?

WT: OMG it's really cute, it's black and pink and I'm going to get pink patent leather pumps, and paint my finger nails black with pink tips!

Me: Wow! Do you think that's appropriate?

WT: Yes, it will be so cute.

Me: OK.

2009-05-13T09:14:00.001-07:00

I must add this beauty to my Birthday list!

Found at this lovely store...

Kate Plus Eight?

2009-05-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit, that I love watching John and Kate Plus Eight! So it comes as no surprise that I'm very curious if John has been cheating on Kate! Kate can be pushy and controlling, but she has EIGHT kids! If she wasn't that way, their lives would be hectic, crazy and out of control! I'm really curious to see if the show will go on!

**Original story found here

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T08:04:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom! You're the most amazing mom ever! I would never ask for anyone else to be my mom! You're the most caring, compassionate and selfless person that I've ever known! I hope you enjoyed your day!

S.A.H.W.

2009-05-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one that dreams about being a stay at home wife? Seriously I'm always trying to come up with a way NOT to work...too bad the hubby doesn't agree with my plans! Maybe we'll win the lottery...

March for Babies 2009!

2009-05-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning I awoke at the crack of dawn (6:15) to participate in the 2009 March of Dimes! This event was so special to our family this year, since our darling nephew-Talan was born 10 weeks prematurely, and had to spend several long weeks in the NICU. My sister and her husband are very blessed to have so many caring and thoughtful friends. Several friends walked with us on Sunday to support 'Team Talan'. It was amazing to see that 'Team Talan' raised over $2,000!! Overall, it was a very good day; the weather was on our side, and the 3.5 mile walk was just what I needed after all those calorie filled Margaritas that I enjoyed in Mexico!

Me, Shawna, Talan, Mom!

The team of walkers!

Me, Shawna and Talan!

It's Almost My Birthday!!

2009-05-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

My Birthday is in ONE month and I'm slightly excited! Birthdays are a big deal around here, so I've already started planning the festivities, and have submitted my birthday list to the hubby and the parentals!

Here are a few items off my list:

*DSLR Camera & classes on how to operate it

*Tory Burch black flats with gold medallion

*Pottery Barn/Anthropolgie/Nordstrom/In Spa Gift Cards

*Manolo Blahnik black pumps

We'll see if I actually get anything off the list! :)

We're back!

2009-05-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

We're back from Cabo and happy to announce that we DO NOT have the Swine Flu! We're currently busy sanitizing all of our belongings that we brought to and from Mexico! It might be a day or so until I put the Lysol bottle down and post some pictures; so stay tuned!

Domesticated Hubby

2009-04-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

I've always thought of myself as a domesticated goddess. I've always been very tidy, freakishly organized, creative in our home, etc. It wasn't until the hubby and I were iphoning each other yesterday morning that I realized that he should now hold the title of domesticated goddess:

Me: Have you dropped off the clothes at the dry cleaner?

Hubby: I am going right after Lunch.

One hour later...

Hubby: Ok, I dropped the clothes off.

Me: Did you tell them that we leave for vacation Thursday morning?

Hubby: Yes, they will be ready Wednesday afternoon.

Me: Wow; good job! How much did it cost?

Hubby: $10

Me: Huh?!? Last time I took the clothes in I spent $25 and that was for a dress shirt and sweater, this time you dropped off three dress shirts and my J crew black pants and it was only $10?!

Hubby: I know, I'm good!

Wow! This guy rocks, he remembers to drop off the dry cleaning, gets a good deal and lets them know we need our clothes done in a timely manner...move over Martha!

Why?

2009-04-17T11:52:00.001-07:00

Why do we blog? Is it the alluring idea that we can have a glimpse into how others live their lives? Do we want to see if there are other people out their that do similar things? Or are we interested in new ideas for decorating our homes, feeding our families, or simply a new way to interact with others? Whatever it might be, I am surely excited to log on and see what my friends (and stalkees) have written about.

Watch out ladies he'll get you with those big blue eyes!

2009-04-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

Full of thoughts.

2009-04-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

*Home search has been put on hold.

*Apartment search has commenced.

*Sunny Southern California over Memorial Weekend sounds blissful.

*Two weeks until Mexico and it still feels surreal.

*Thinking about the moving process makes me want to cry.

*Thinking about the moving process while wearing my new PINK work gloves makes my mouth curve slightly upward---some might call it a smile.

*Thinking about shopping consumes many of my daily thoughts.

*Thinking about shopping for home décor items consumes several more of my thoughts.

*And today I wonder how time can fly by so fast; I’ve been a Mrs. for 2.75 years!

California Dreamin'

2009-04-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I found myself daydreaming about Southern California! I realized that I took some pictures of the beautiful scenery while on our mini vacation in January. I decided I would post a few to help with gloomy moods on gloomy Seattle days!

***Pictures taken at Newport Beach, CA

Spoiled Pup!

2009-04-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

Bella is our pride and joy---AKA our doghter (dog that is a daughter-totally came up with this one on our own)! Bella loves to be carried and sometimes our arms just get too tired. So I created an impromptu doggie sling. I think I should totally market this awesome invention; or are we the only crazy ones that love our dog this much?!?

*Please ignore the pajamas!

{Mundane Monday Musings}

2009-03-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

1. Spring has not yet sprung.

2. The house saga continues. Hopefully the phrase, Third time's a charm, deems itself true...

3. The thought of wearing a bikini in 31 days is haunting me.

4. I'm longing to start decorating our own house.

***Stay tuned tomorrow I should have a few thankful thoughts...

Hooray for Sunshine and House Hunting!

2009-03-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight we’re going out to look at a few condos/townhouses. A couple listings look promising! I really cannot wait to start decorating our new home!! I have several ideas swirling around in my brain. I’ve created a binder to keep track of these ideas, to ensure I won’t forget them once we get into our new home! Speaking of decorating, below is a picture of our current master bedroom. I've purchased a large barn star to be used above the bed if we don't put the bed in front of the window in our new place. *I just noticed that since this picture was taken, I've updated the lamp shades, changed the sheets, adjusted the placement of the pillows, and added a barn star above each night stand. I guess there really was no point to adding this picture, but we all know a post is no fun if it's lacking pictures!

Onto another subject…Does anyone else watch House Hunters or Property Virgins on HGTV? So last night the Hubby and I snuggled up under our down comforter (it was in the 20’s last night!) while watching HGTV. We were so annoyed at how expensive our city is compared to others around the country. In our Seattle suburb we’re finding 1,000-1,200sq ft homes priced at ~$250,000-$275,000! We’re lucky to even find anything in this price range! A couple of years ago when we were cute little newlyweds we couldn’t find anything in this price range! So we’re trying to be positive and reassure ourselves that this is only our first house and one day (hopefully sooner rather than later) we will have a spacious home with a nice yard. Until then we will stay grateful for being able to buy during these tough economic times.

P.S. I have posted THREE times in the last THREE days; this is crazy!

Tuesday’s Thankful Thoughts!

2009-03-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

*Only 44 days until Mexico!

*We’re looking for potential houses this week!

*We’re happily married and buying our first home at the ages of 22 & 23!

*We both have jobs during these horrible economic times!

*We’re lucky to be the ONLY Uncle and Auntie to our beautiful nephew!

~Mundane Monday Musings~

2009-03-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

I really wish the weekend was three days instead of two days; the weekend always feels too short! Monday definitely felt like it came earlier this week…I’m thinking this has something to do with setting our clocks forward on Saturday night!

This weekend really wasn’t too exciting. The hubster started working Saturdays this week, so now we really only have one full day together. Although, I’m very proud of my husband’s great work ethics! When he sees an opportunity for advancement or potentially more monetary benefits for our family he takes on the challenge, and for that I’m grateful!

On Sunday we started looking at potential new homes AGAIN. The first place we were set to buy just didn’t work out…the details are too ridiculous to cover here. Our search left us frustrated, annoyed, and completely overwhelmed. We came to the realization that we have the taste of a snobby, rich couple. Needless to say we need to start discussing what’s truly important for us to see in our first house!

On a brighter note, we did get to spend time with our little peanut on Sunday! We always enjoy cuddling this cute boy!